Imagine a world where humans can understand animals. That world is closer than you might think, thanks to research in Montreal.
Researchers at McGill University are using artificial intelligence to decode animal vocalizations. According to the Associated Press, the project aims to unlock the secrets of animal communication by studying the chirps of zebra finches and the calls of beluga whales. The goal is to bring humans and the natural world closer together, potentially transforming conservation efforts.
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Postdoctoral fellow Logan James, who leads the research in partnership with the Earth Species Project, believes they are making significant progress. Researchers isolate and record unique sounds by simulating specific calls during interactions with finches. These recordings are then fed into AI models, which are being trained to understand animal “language.”
AI in wildlife conservation around the world
Montreal isn’t the only place where AI and conservation intersect. In Uganda, white-backed vultures are outfitted with AI-enabled trackers to combat poaching. According to the Wall Street Journal, these trackers analyze vulture behavior in real-time, alerting rangers to possible poaching incidents—an innovative approach that’s helping protect endangered species.
Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, biologist Jenna Lawson has deployed 350 audio monitors across the Osa Peninsula to track endangered Geoffrey’s spider monkeys. As the Associated Press reported, the AI-analyzed data has provided critical insights into the wildlife refuge’s health.
With 28% of plant and animal species at risk of extinction, experts say AI could revolutionize conservation efforts.
Ethical concerns surround AI in animal research
Despite its promise, the use of AI in animal research has sparked ethical concerns. Critics worry about the potential exploitation of animals or disruptions to their natural habitats in the name of technological progress. Experts are calling for establishing ethical guidelines to ensure the responsible use of AI in conservation efforts.
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James, of McGill University, is optimistic about AI’s potential to decode animal communication. He believes this research could foster a deeper appreciation for the planet, especially as humanity faces the growing challenges of climate change.
[KENNEDY FELTON]
transcript [ON CAM] IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE HUMANS CAN UNDERSTAND ANIMALS. WELL – THAT WORLD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK THANKS TO RESEARCH IN MONTREAL. [TAKE VO – ZEBRA & WHALE FILE] ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.. RESEARCHERS AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY ARE USING A-I TO DECODE ANIMAL VOCALIZATIONS. FROM THE CHIRPS OF ZEBRA FINCHES TO THE CALLS OF BELUGA WHALES… THIS PROJECT COULD UNLOCK SECRETS OF ANIMAL COMMUNICATION – BRINGING HUMANS AND THE NATURAL WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER IN WAYS WE’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. [TAKE VO] POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW LOGAN JAMES SAYS HE BELIEVES HE’S CLOSING IN ON DECIPHERING ANIMAL VOICE VOCALIZATIONS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EARTH SPECIES PROJECT. [TAKE VO] HE’S SIMULATING SPECIFIC CALLS DURING CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN FINCHES… HELPING RESEARCHERS ISOLATE UNIQUE SOUNDS. THOSE RECORDINGS ARE THEN FED INTO AN A-I MODEL TO TRAIN IT TO UNDERSTAND ANIMAL LANGUAGE. [TAKE VO] THIS ISNT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE A-I AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ARE INTERSECTING. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT IN UGANDA… WHITE BACKED VULTURES ARE BEING OUTFITTED WITH A-I INFUSED TRACKERS TO HELP COMBAT POACHING. THESE TRACKERS ANALYZE VULTURE BEHAVIOR IN REAL TIME AND ALERT RANGERS TO POSSIBLE POACHING INCIDENTS – HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES. [TAKE VO] MEANWHILE IN COSTA RICA… A-P REPORTS BIOLOGIST JENNA LAWSON DEPLOYED 350 AUDIO MONITORS ACROSS THE OSA PENINSULA TO TRACK GEOFFREY’S SPIDER MONKEYS – A SPECIES AT RISK. THE AUDIO DATA – PROCESSED WITH A-I – PROVIDED CRITICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE HEALTH OF THE WILDLIFE REFUGE. ITS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER AS 28-PERCENT OF PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES ARE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION… A-I COULD BE A GAME CHANGER IN CONSERVATION. [TAKE VO] BUT IT’S NOT ALL POSITIVE. THE USE OF A-I IN ANIMAL RESEARCH DOES RAISE ETHICAL CONCERNS FOR SOME… AND CRITICS WORRY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPLOITING ANIMALS OR DISRUPTING THEIR NATURAL HABITATS IN THE NAME OF TECHNOLOGY. [TAG] STILL – LOGAN JAMES WITH MCGILL UNIVERSITY SAYS *HE BELIEVES UNDERSTANDING ANIMAL COMMUNICATION WILL FOSTER A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THE PLANET… ESPECIALLY AS WE FACE THE GROWING CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
Here’s your revised transcript:
Imagine a world where humans can understand animals. Well, that world is closer than you think thanks to research in Montreal.
According to the Associated Press, researchers at McGill University are using AI to decode animal vocalizations. From the chirps of zebra finches to the calls of beluga whales, this project could unlock secrets of animal communication – bringing humans and the natural world closer together in ways we’ve never seen before.
Postdoctoral fellow Logan James says he believes he’s closing in on deciphering animal vocalizations through a partnership with the Earth Species Project.
He’s simulating specific calls during conversations between finches, helping researchers isolate unique sounds. Those recordings are then fed into an AI model to train it to understand animal language.
This isn’t the only place where AI and wildlife conservation are intersecting. The Wall Street Journal reports that in Uganda, white-backed vultures are being outfitted with AI-infused trackers to help combat poaching. These trackers analyze vulture behavior in real-time and alert rangers to possible poaching incidents – helping to protect the endangered species.
Meanwhile in Costa Rica, AP reports biologist Jenna Lawson deployed 350 audio monitors across the Osa Peninsula to track Geoffrey’s spider monkeys – a species at risk. The audio data, processed with AI, provided critical insights into the health of the wildlife refuge. It’s an important reminder as 28 percent of plant and animal species are at risk of extinction, AI could be a game changer in conservation.
But it’s not all positive. The use of AI in animal research does raise ethical concerns for some, and critics worry about the possibility of exploiting animals or disrupting their natural habitats in the name of technology.
Still, Logan James with McGill University says he believes understanding animal communication will foster a deeper appreciation for the planet, especially as we face the growing challenges of climate change.
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